9.22.2017

Angry Reader of the Week: Simran Jeet Singh

Hey, everybody! You know what time it is. It's time to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Simran Jeet Singh.

Who are you?

I'm a fun-loving, justice-loving, sports-loving, person-loving, love-loving guy who is a strange combination of optimism and realism. I look forward and am always hopeful -- but I also see the suffering around me and feel a responsibility to deal with it in some way.

What are you?

I'm a relatively new father. I'm a son and nephew. I'm a husband and brother. In many ways, I define myself relationally, largely because that's how I live my life.

Where are you?

I'm at a point in my life where I have enough privilege and enough of a platform that I can affect change. I want to acknowledge that explicitly and publicly, because doing so holds me accountable. I can no longer hide behind the "One day, I will..." I'm here, and I'm here today.

Where are you from?

I'm from a tradition that cares less about particularities and more about humanity. I'm from a family that sees goodness in all and treats everyone as equal. I'm from a lineage that honors justice by living as saints and soldiers, with a foundation in spirituality and a real commitment to service.

What do you do?

Everything I do is grounded in my core values of love, service, and justice. In the Sikh faith, one's inspiration and attitude are just as important as one's specific actions. The word for such inspired activism is seva, and this is what I try to do with every action I perform.

What are you all about?

I'm all about trying to help people recognize our interconnectedness. This entire universe is inextricably interconnected, and much of our suffering comes from our inability or unwillingness to see the oneness of the world. I'm all about challenging divisions that take us away from oneness, whether they be social, political, religious, etc.

What makes you angry?

While the Sikh tradition teaches us to overcome anger, and while my own disposition is not particularly angry, I am in no way perfect and do find myself angered occasionally. Perhaps the most common source of anger for me comes in moments when political leaders use their power to manipulate people, and in doing so, knowingly produce immense human suffering. Even though this is a common story in human history, I still find myself incredibly frustrated anytime I witness the interplay of power, suffering, and intentionality -- perhaps because it speaks to our collective capacity for inhumanity.